Johnny's Italian Steakhouse in Omaha, Nebraska

Recently I took my first solo flight to Omaha, Nebraska to speak to a group of rheumatologists and their staff. The restaurant holding the private dinner was Johnny's Italian Steakhouse at the west end of the city in a fairly new outdoor mall.

Now I have to admit a few things here: I'm a born and bred California girl, never have liked beef and I was freezing!

However, as soon as I walked in, the atmosphere was warm, cozy, smelled wonderful and a very friendly hostess walked me back to the private dining room where my speech was to take place. From there, the waiters came over to ask me what I would like to drink. Having a food allergy, I asked them for suggestions as to what would be the best of the offered entrees/side dishes to order. They told me they'd be happy to make sure whether I ordered the filet mignon, the double-cut stuffed pork chops, grilled salmon or angel hair with grilled chicken, they'd have the chef adapt the meal to fit my needs. They also checked on what appetizers were being served and informed me which ones were "safe".

Even though I'm more of a "veggie" person, all concerned told me that I must try the filet-grain fed and the pride of the region. Before the meal, I was able to try the smoking shrimp cocktail. The shrimp were quite tasty and plump and served over dried ice (hence the smoking). I also tried the bruschetta with goat cheese and shrimp, it was also quite nice. The calamari looked wonderful, but alas, it and the cheese stuffed bread was not on my list of "can-dos".

Most of our group did order the filet mignon. Mine order came without the cabernet sauce and I had garlic-steamed broccoli in lieu of the garlic mashed potatoes, which were thankfully not over-cooked. The filet was actually quite tasty and tender. One lady had the angel hair pasta with grilled chicken and fresh basil, which looked equally good.

I had to pass on dessert, but the seasonal peppermint cheesecake or the decadent chocolate lava cake both had me wishing I didn't have food allergies to cow products.

The coffee was good, poured hot and the size of the mugs were perfect.

Would I go to Johnny's Italian Steakhouse if it were in my own backyard? You bet. Good food, good atmosphere and a wonderful staff-what more could you want when dining out?